Building block



Feb. 18, 1936. H. E. THOMPSON BUILDING BLOCK Filed Sept. 16, 1935 IIVVf/YTOE. HOWARD E. mom

P ON.

Patented Feb. 18, 1936.

1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUILDING BLOCK Howard E. Thompson, San Francisco, Calif. Application September 16, 1935, Serial No. 10,791

3 Claims. (01. 4625) My invention relates to improvements In building-blocks and particularly to that type of block which, having rails on both sides thereof, may be used, when connected, for laying out tracks for miniature or toy railroads, and wherein each block comprises a flat body having longitudinally disposed opposed rails on opposite flat sides thereof, and has its opposite ends beveled in opposite directions, providing long and short edges, one of said beveled ends being provided with an integrally formed tenon and the other or opposite beveled end being provided with a mortise whereby said blocks may be detachably connected bysaid tenons and mortises, with the shorter sides of the blocks adjacent, to form'a curve or'arch to curve the tracks upon the blocks so connected, or connected with each alternate block reversed to produce a. straight extension of said track.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved building-block having improved means for detachably connecting the same together in a manner that will produce a straight or a curved extension.

Another object is to provide a. new and improved building-block of the type described and having rails on both sides thereof whereby a straight or a curved toy railroad track may be produced by the simple expedient of reversing certain of said blocks.

A further object is to provide a new and improved device of the character set forth which may be economically produced and which will provide a maximum efficiency.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a new andeimproved building-block having improved connecting means whereby. a series of straight and curved tracks may be indefinitely extended to build a railroad track system for toy trains and the like.

I accomplish these and other objects by means of the preferred form of the invention disclosed in the drawing forming a part of the present application, and in which- Fig. 1 is a broken plan view of a portion of a toy track, composed of a series of my improved building-blocks detachably connected;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a single block, disclosing the construction thereof and the rails thereon; and

Fig. 3 is an end view, the blocks, disclosing rails on both sides thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

The numeral I is used to designate a preferably flat block of wood or other economically produced and easily fashioned material, and having in elevation, of one of its opposite ends 3 and 4 beveled in opposite direction, providing short and long edges 5 and 6, respectively, as disclosed in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The blocks I are designed to be detachably secured together'to produce or erect building-block 5 structures of any preferred design, of which the presently described railroad track is only one form.

To the end that these blocks may be provided with the most eiiicient and economically pro- 10 duced detachable securing means, I have integrally formed upon one beveled end of the block I the tenon I shaped to fit snugly within the mortise 8 formed within the opposite beveled end thereof, so that the said blocks I may be 5 readily and detachably connected end to end by said mortises 8 and tenons l.

, When the blocks I are connected, by said tenons and mortises, with the shorter sides 5 adjacent, as disclosed in full lines in the upper porgo tion of Fig. 1 of the drawing, an arch or curve is formed of the connected blocks I.

By reversing each alternate block I a straight extension is produced.

Both sides of the block I are provided with longitudinally disposed parallel grooves 9, said grooves 9 upon one side of the block I being arranged directly opposite the grooves 9 upon the other side thereof so that said blocks I may be reversed, in a manner and for a purpose herein- 30 after more fully set forth.

Detachably or otherwise mounted within the grooves 9 are similar rails or tracks III, which, as in the present instance, may be of thin flat strips, or they may be of standard or any other 35 track-section which may be readily inserted and frictionally held therein.

In operation:

The blocks I are detachably connected by inserting the tenon I on the beveled end of one 40 block into the mortise 8 in the adjacent end of an adjacent block, and when the blocks are con-' nected with their shorter sides 5 adjacent, or all on one side, an arch or curved track is formed, as illustrated in full lines with the three upper 45 units or blocks I in the upper portion of Fig. l of the drawing.

If alternate blocks are reversed, that is to say, with alternate blocks having their shorter sides on opposite sides of the structure, then a straight extension is produced.

While I have illustrated a bevel of approximately 15 degrees, it is obvious that with a bevel having an angle of lesser degree, and with or without shorter blocks, a joint having a greater the bottom 0! a toy vehicle, such arrangement will readily permit the vehicle to negotiate the rails advantageously.

Having described myinvention what I claim is- 1. A building-block for forming tracks comprising a flat block having its opposite ends beveled in opposite directions to form long and short sides and having a tenon formed integral with one end and a mortise formed in the opposite end whereby a series of said blocks may be connected with their shorter edges adjacent to form an arch, or connected, with each alternate block reversed, to form a straight extension; and similar tracks formed upon opposite flat surfaces of said flat block.

2. A building-block for forming tracks comprising a flat block having longitudinally mounted similar tracks upon opposite flat sides thereof, and having opposite ends of said block beveled in opposite directions, forming long and short opposite edges on said block, and having a tenon formed intesral with one beveled end and a mortise formed in the opposite beveled end whereby a series of blocks may be connected, by said tenons and mortises, with their shorter edges ad- Jacent, to form a curved track thereon, or con nected with each alternate block reversed to form a straight track;

3. A building-block for forming tracks comprising a flat block having longitudinally disposed and opposed parallel grooves in opposite flat sides 01 said block, and having the opposite ends thereof beveled in opposite directions, forming long and short opposite edges on said block and having a tenon formed integral with one beveled end and a mortise iormed in the opposite beveled end whereby said blocks may be connected by said tenons and mortises with the shorter edges 01' said blocks adjacent to form an arch of said blocks, or by reversing alternate blocks to term a straight extension; and rails mounted within the grooves of the blocks to form tracks.

HOWARD E. THOMPSON. 

